Filling apparatus



Nov. 29, 1955 c, DAY ET AL FILLING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledMarch 10, 1953 INVENTORS.

Oflfl Lop 3) 5 BY h fl' Jj mp W 1 .14% W ATTORNEYS.

NOV. 29, 1955 c, DAY ET AL FILLING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledMarch 10, 1955 nIIlIlIlllHH-ln IN VENTORS f") ay, U Rokerfl'd'. lump,

rll y/l/v/llf ATTORNEYS.

2,725,170 Fatentted Nov. 2h, i955 fiice 9 Claims. (Cl. 226124) Thepresent invention relates to a filling apparatus for filling containerswith liquids such as pickle brine, syrup or milk and more particularlyto an improved filling valve arrangement for such apparatus whicheliminates hanging of containers thereto due to Stickiness of the liquidor development of a vacuum within the container.

In filling containers with highly viscous liquids such as pickle brineor syrup, difficulty has been encountered in separating the filledcontainers from the filling valve because of the stickiness of theliquids being dispensed and because high viscous liquids tend to createa seal between the lip of the container and the filling valve causing avacuum to be formed within the container when it is being separated fromthe filling valve. The filling machine must oftentimes be stopped torelease a container which is stuck to the filling head at the time thecontainer is being lowered, after completion of the filling operationand, thus, the production line is slowed and the etficiency of thesystem is materially decreased.

Therefore, an important object of the present invention is the provisionof a valve for a filling machine which will seal against the lip of acontainer when the container is raised into position for filling andwhich will positively and immediately break its seal with the containerwhen the container is lowered from engagement with the filling head.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a valve fora filling machine having a resilient bulbous body which engages the lipof a container and will be deformed thereby to form a seal therebetweenand thereafter will return to its original shape breaking the seal withthe container when the container is lowered out of engagement therewith.

In modern day bottling and canning plants which handle products that areto be consumed by humans, State health laws require that the machineshandling the food products must in the interest or" public health meetcertain sanitary regulations. Therefore, another object of the presentinvention is to provide a filling apparatus in which the valve may beeasily and quickly disassembled so that the parts thereof may bethoroughly cleaned at frequent intervals.

Ancillary to the last-mentioned object, the present invention provides afilling valve which eliminates any concealed or inaccessible creviceswhich might collect and retain food product residue or particles whichresult in bacteria formations.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a fillingapparatus having a vent tube positioned therein which will not bedisplaced axially when the valve member is operated to open the liquidflow passage simultaneously with the vent tube.

Another objectof the present invention is to provide means operativelyassociated with the filling valve which will deflect the liquid flowinginto a container away from the vent port and thereby eliminating thepossibility of the vent port being blocked by the flow of liquid throughthe valve during a filling operation.

These and other objects of the invention will appear more clearly in thefollowing specification, claims and drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through the filling tank and a fillinghead and shows the container on its platform about to engage and openthe filling valve;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the filling valve and showing thecontainer at a point of engagement with the filling valve prior tosealing engagement therewith;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view of the filling valve taken on theline 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the filling valve looking from below;

Figure 5 is an enlarged vertical section through a filling head showingthe neck of a container in the filling position with the valve of thefilling head in the fully opened position;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of the filling valve andvent tube taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is an enlarged side elevational view of the vent tube;

Figure 8 is an enlarged vertical section of the vent tube;

Figure 9 is an enlarged front elevation of the vent tube;

Figure 10 is a plan view of the vent tube; V

Figure 11 is an enlarged side elevation of the vent tube guide;

Figure 12 is a plan view of the vent tube guide shown in Figure 11;

Figure 13 is an enlarged side elevation of the vent tube retainingspider; and

Figure 14 is a plan view of the vent tube retaining spider shown inFigure 13.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like character or referencenumerals represent like or similar parts, the filling machine disclosedhas a liquid supply reservoir 10 mounted for rotary movement in anywell-known manner. A cover 12 is provided for engagement with the top ofreservoir 10 whereby dirt and foreign material is prevented fromcontacting the liquid within the reservoir. Although the apparatusdisclosed is for filling containers with liquid at atmospheric pressure,it is within the scope of the present invention that the supplyreservoir 10 may be provided with a substantially airtight cover wherebyliquid may be filled by subatmospheric pressures. Reservoir 10 issupplied with liquid such as pickle brine, syrup or the like, in anyconventional manner from a suitable source of supply. Although thefilling apparatus and valve disclosed is intended for use where highviscosity and sticky liquids are dispensed, it is within the scope ofthe invention that the filling apparatus also may be used for fillingwhere the liquid used is of a less viscous nature. Such an instancewould be the filling of containers with milk or the like.

As shown in Figure 1, reservoir 10 is provided with a series ofcircumferentially spaced depressions or pockets 14 having downwardly andinwardly inclined walls. Each pocket 14 has attached thereto in sealingengage ment therewith, a downwardly projecting boss 16 forming a part ofthe filling head. The downwardly projecting boss 16, which may be weldedto pocket 14, is provided with a longitudinal bore 18 defining a passagecommunicating the interior of reservoir 10 with a resilient hollowbulbous body or valve member 58. Boss 16 is of generally cylindricalform and is provided at its lower end with a reduced portion 20. Theupper edge of the bore 18 of boss 16 is provided with an annularbevelled surface as indicated at 22. Positioned within bore 18 of boss16 is a hollow vent tube 24 which opens above the level of liquid inreservoir and has its lower end or tip closed. As shown in Figure l, thevent tube 24 is comprised of an upper extension 26 and a lower fill tip28. Although the vent tube in this particular embodiment of theinvention is shown in two sections, it is of course, within the scope ofthe invention that the vent tube may be a single unit. Vent tube 24 isretained in position within the bore 18 by means of a vent tube guide30. Referring to Figures 11 and 12, vent tube guide 30 is a spidermember having a body 32 with a longitudinal bore 34 extendingtherethrough and a plurality of radially extending longitudinal ribs 36.Ribs 36 are provided at the upper ends with upwardly and outwardlyinclined shoulders 38 which are adapted to engage the annular bevelledsurface 22 of boss 16. The lower end of the bore 34, in vent tube guide3% is threaded, as indicated at 40, to receive the threaded end 42 ofvent tube fill tip 28. The upper portion 26 of vent tube 24 may besoldered or rigidly attached within bore 34 of spider member 30. It isnow obvious that when the spider member 30 is supported with bore 13 ofboss 16 by means of shoulders 38 engaging the annular bevelled surface22 that the fill tip 28 may be then threaded into the internallythreaded spider 3-0. Downward movement of vent tube 24 is thus preventedby the positioning of the vent tube guide within boss 16.

As previously mentioned the vent tube 24 is provided with a closed filltip 28. At the lower end of vent tube 24, an enlarged outwardly anddownwardly extending annular chamfered surface 44 is provided. Thepurpose of chamfered surface 44 will be explained in more detail laterin the specification. Immediately above chamfered surface 44, the venttube 24 is provided with a longitudinally elongated laterally extendingprojection 46 having a lateral facing vent port 48 therein communicatingwith the interior of the hollow vent tube. Thus, the vent tube willcommunicate between the top of the reservoir 10 and the interior of acontainer 11 when the container is raised into filling position by meansof a vertically movable platform 13.

As best shown in Figures 8, 9 and 10, projection 46 on vent tube 24 isprovided with a shoulder 50 at the upper end thereof. Shoulder 50 isadapted to engage the lower surface of a vent tube retainer member orspider 52 which is fitted over the vent tube prior to insertion of thevent tube into the threaded vent guide member 30. Vent tube retainermember or spider 52 is provided with a plurality of radially extendingarms 54 at its lower end. These arms are adapted to engage the loweredge of boss 16 when the vent tube fill tip 28 is threaded intoposition. As indicated at 56, the arms 54 Will engage the end of boss 16and prevent upward movement of the vent. tube in an operation to besubsequently described.

Attached to the recess portion 20 of boss 16 is resilient hollow bulbousbody or valve member 58 having a passage therethrough. Valve member 53may be made of rubber, neoprene, or the like resilient material and isprovided with valve means for sealing the lip of the container 11 andfor opening and closing of the liquid flow and vent passages. Resilientbulbous body 58 has a relatively thick-walled neck portion 66 and arelatively thin wall bulbiform portion 62. The neck portion engages thereduced portion 20 of boss 16 and is frictionally retained thereon dueto its slight distention thereby. The free end of the body 58 isprovided with an inwardly extending annular flange 64 having an annularinner edge 66 defining a portion of the passage through the body.Annular flange 64 is provided with a half-round lip 68 adjacent thelower portion of its inner edge 66. The purpose of the half-round lip 68is so that it will engage the chamfered surface on the vent tube filltip to form a seal therewith when the valve is in the closed or nonallyfacing vent port 43, projection 46 is provided.

4 fill position. The annular flange 64 forms a recess 70 in bulbousvalve body 58 and the purpose of this recess will become more evidentlater in the specification.

Annular flange 64 has a lower surface 72, for sealing engagement withthe lip of container 11, which tapers downwardly and inwardly from theperiphery of bulbous body 58. Tapered surface 72 is provided with aplurality of flat sectors 74 which are in abutting relationship witheach other. At the point of abutment of two adjacent sectors 74, aradially extending rib 76 is formed. In the normal relaxed position ofbulbous body 53, the ribs '76 will be the first portion thereof tocontact container 11 when it is being raised into filling position.Since ribs 76 will contact with the lip of the container at individualpoints thereon, an open space 75 will be provided between the flatsector 74 and the lip of container 11 as best shown in Figure 3. As thecontainer 11 is raised into filling position, it will flex the annularflange 64 of bulbous body 58 and deform the same into sealing engagementas is shown in Figure 5. In this position the lower surface of flange 64is substantially flat or planar with the ribs 76 being deformed into thesectors 74. When container 11 is lowered, there is a normal tendency tocreate a vacuum in the top of the container above the level of liquidtherein and thus it would be diflicult to break the seal between thecontainer lip and the bulbous body 58 if provisions were not provided tobleed air to the space above the liquid in the container. However, sincebulbous body 58 is made of a flexible deformable material which willtend to assume its original shape and is provided with a containerengaging surface comprising a plurality of flat sectors in abuttingrelationship, the ribs 76 will bias the flat sectors away from the lipof the container and provide an airspace therebetween for air to bleedfrom the atmosphere to the interior of the container between the lip ofthe container and the flat sectors. Thus, there cannot be a vacuum lockbetween the container and the filling valve. In instances where theliquid is extremely sticky, the valve will operate in the same manner torelease the container at the end of the filling operation.

As is shown in Figure 5, when the container flexes and deforms annularflange 64 of bulbous body 58, the vent tube 48 is opened to communicatewith the interior of the container. Also, the liquid flow passage 59from the reservoir, between the wall of bore 18 and the outside of venttube 24, is opened for flow of liquid around the vent tube into thecontainer. To prevent the flow of liquid around the vent tube fromblocking the later- It will be noted that the exterior surface of theprojection 46 is curved or semi-circular to conform with the radius ofcurvature defined by the interior edge 66 of annular flange 64. When theflange 64 is flexed by engagement with the container lip, a portion ofthe edge of the flange will engage projection 46 above the vent port 48,thus forming a seal therewith whereby the liquid flowing into container11 is deflected away from laterally facing vent port 48.

In the past, it has been merely necessary to have a vent tube positionedwithin the bore of a valve of this character so that there could be nodownward movement thereof. However, since a portion of the interior edgeof flange 64 engages lateral projection 46 of the vent tube V to deflectliquid away from the vent port, it is necessary to prevent the vent tubefrom moving up duringfilling. As previously mentioned, the lower spidermember 52, which is slipped over fill tip 28, engages flange 50 on thelateral projection 46. When the vent tube fill tip has been threadedinto the upper spider member 30 to a point where the laterally extendingarms 52 engage the lower edge of boss 16, the vent tube is preventedfrom movement either up or down during the operation of the bulbousvalve body.

The terminology used in this specification is for the purpose ofdescription and not for limitation, the scope of the invention isdefined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a filling machine of the character described, a reservoir, a bossprojecting below said reservoir and having an axial bore therethroughcommunicating with the interior of the reservoir, a hollow vent tubeclosed at its lower end and axially positioned in said axial bore anddefining a flow passage between its outer wall and the wall of saidaxial bore for the flow of liquid during a filling operation from saidreservoir to a container, said vent tube having at its lower end anenlarged annular chamfered surface and an elongated lateral projectionpositioned above said chamfered surface, said elongated lateralprojection having a laterally facing vent port therein communicatingwith the interior of said hollow vent tube, a resilient bulbous bodyconnected to said boss and having a passageway therethrough insubstantial axial alignment with the bore in said boss, said body havingat one end thereof a freely inwardly extending annular flange having aninner edge defining a portion of the passageway therethrough andnormally contacting said annular chamfered surface of said vent tube toform a seal therewith, said annular flange flexing when engaged by acontainer during the filling operation to free its inner edge from theannular chamfered surface and to open said vent tube into communicationwith the interior of the container, a portion of said inner edge of saidannular flange engaging said elongated projection above said laterallyfacing vent port and forming a seal therewith whereby liquid flowingaround said vent tube is directed away from said vent port during thefilling operation.

2. In a filling machine of the character described, a reservoir, a bossprojecting below said reservoir and having an axial bore therethroughcommunicating with the interior of the reservoir, a hollow vent tubeclosed at its lower end and axially positioned in said axial bore anddefining a flow passage between its outer wall and the wall of saidaxial bore for the flow of liquid during the filling operation from saidreservoir to a container, means rigidly supporting said vent tube insaid port with its lower end below said boss, said vent tube having atits lower end an enlarged downwardly and outwardly extending annularchamfered surface and a longitudinally elongated laterally extendingprojection positioned above said annular chamfered surface, saidelongated lateral projection having a laterally facing vent port thereincom municating with the interior of said hollow vent tube, a resilientbulbous body connected to said boss and having a passageway therethroughin substantial axial alignment with the bore in said boss, said bodyhaving at one end thereof a freely inwardly extending annular flangehaving an inner edge defining a portion of the passageway therethroughand normally contacting said chamfered surface of said vent tube to forma seal therewith closing off the liquid flow and vent passages, saidannular flange flexing when engaged by the container during the fillingoperation to free its inner edge from said chamfered surface and to opensaid vent tube into communication with the interior of the container, aportion of said inner edge of said annular flange engaging saidprojection above said vent port forming a seal therewith whereby liquidflowing around said vent tube is directed away from said vent portduring the filling operation.

3. In a filling machine of the character described, a reservoir, a bossprojecting below said reservoir and having a bore therethroughcommunicating with the interior of the reservoir, said bore having abevelled upper edge, a spider member having a bore therethrough and aplurality of spaced longitudinally extending ribs provided with inclinedshoulders thereon, said spider member positioned and supported withinthe bore of said boss by engagement of said shoulders with said bevellededge, a hollow vent tube closed at its lower end and supported in thebore of said spider with its lower end below said boss, said vent tubehaving at its lower end an enlarged downwardly and outwardly extendingchamfered surface and a longitudinally elongated laterally extendingprojection positioned above said annular chamfered surface, saidelongated lateral projection having a laterally facing vent port thereincommunicating with the interior of said hollow vent tube, the upper endof said laterally extending projection defining a shoulder, a secondspider member positioned on said vent tube and having spaced radiallyextending arms, said last-mentioned spider engaging the shoulder of theprojection on said vent tube and the lower end of said boss wherebyupward movement of the vent tube is prevented, a resilient bulbous bodyconnected to said boss and having a passageway therethrough insubstantial axial alignment with the bore in said boss, said body havingat one end thereof a freely inwardly extending annular flange having aninner edge defining a portion of the passageway therethrough andnormally contacting said chamfered surface of said vent tube to form aseal therewith closing off the liquid flow and vent passages, saidannular flange flexing when engaged by the container lip during thefilling operation to free its inner edge from said chamfered surface andto open said vent tube into connection with the interior of thecontainer, the portion of said inner edge of said annular flangeengaging said projection above said vent port forming a seal therewithwhereby liquid flowing around said vent tube is directed away from saidvent port during the filling operation.

4. In a filling machine of the character described, a reservoir, a bossprojecting below said reservoir and having an axial bore therethroughcommunicating with the interior of the reservoir, a hollow vent tubeclosed at its lower end and axially positioned in said passageway anddefining a flow passage between its outer wall and the wall of saidaxial bore for the flow of liquid during a filling operation from saidreservoir to' a container, said vent tube having at its lower end anenlarged annular chamfered surface and an elongated lateral projectionpositioned above said chamfered surface, said elongated lateralprojection having a laterally facing vent port therein communicatingwith the interior of said hollow vent tube, a resilient bulbous bodyconnected to said boss and having a passageway therethrough insubstantial axial alignment with the bore in said boss, said body havingat one end thereof a freely inwardly extending annular flange having aninner edge defining a portion of the passageway therethrough andnormally contacting said chamfered surface of said vent tube to form aseal therewith, said annular flange having a lower surface including aplurality of flat sectors positioned in abutting relationship with eachother and forming a plurality of radially extending ribs at the point ofabutment, said annular fiange flexing and deforming when engaged by acontainer during a filling operation to free said edge from the annularchamfered surface to permit flow between said edge and plug and to opensaid vent tube into communication with the interior of the container, aportion of said inner edge of said annular flange engaging saidelongated projection above said vent port forming a seal therewithwhereby liquid flowing around said vent tube is directed away from saidvent port during the filling operation,

the lower surface of said flange forming a seal with the F container lipwhen said flange is flexed and deformed 3 thereby and biased by saidribs upon relief of pressure 5 of the container therewith to provide anair space between said flat sectors and the container lip whereby air ispermitted to bleed into the container when said con tainer is separatingfrom said resilient body.

5. In a filling valve of the type for filling containers with a liquidwhile venting a gas therefrom, a hollow vent tube closed at its lowerend, said vent tube having an enlarged annular chamfered surface and anelongated lateral projection positioned above said chamfered surface,said elongated lateral projection having a laterally facing vent porttherein communicating with the interior "of said hollow vent tube, aresilient deformable body having a liquid flow passage therethrough anda lower surface for sealing engagement with a container, said bodyhaving its edge adjacent the lower end of said liquid flow passagenormally contacting the chamfered surface of said vent tube to form aseal therewith, the lower surface of said body flexing when engaged by acontainer to free the lower edge thereof from the annular chamferedsurface and to open said vent tube into communication with the interiorof the container, a portion of said edge adjacent the lower end of thefluid passage of said body engaging said elongated projection above saidlaterally facing vent port and forming a seal therewith whereby liquidflowing through the liquid flow passage of said body is directed awayfrom the vent port in said vent tube during a filling operation.

6. A filling valve of the type described in claim 5 wherein the lowercontainer engaging surface of said body is tapered downwardly from theperiphery of said body toward said liquid flow passage and includes aplurality of fiat sectors positioned in abutting relationship with eachother and forming a plurality of laterally extending ribs at the pointof abutment, said lower surface of said body being deformed when engagedby a container during a filling operation to form a seal with thecontainer, and said lower surface being biased by said ribs upon reliefof pressure of the container to provide an air space between said flatsectors and the container lip whereby air is permitted to bleed into thecontainer when the container is separating from said body.

7. In a filling valve of the type for filling containers with a liquidwhile venting a gas therefrom, a hollow vent tube closed at its lowerend, said vent tube having an enlarged annular chamfered surface and anelongated lateral projection positioned above said chamfered surface,said elongated lateral projection having a laterally facing vent porttherein communicating with the interior of said hollow vent tube, abulbous resilient body having a. liquid flow passage therethrough and anannular recess therein, said body having at one end thereof a freelyinwardly extending annular flange having an inner edge defining aportion of the passageway therethrough and normally contacting saidannular chamfered surface of said vent tube to form a seal therewith,said annular flange flexing when engaged by a container during a fillingoperation to free its inner edge from the annular chamfered surface andto open said vent tube into communication with the interior of thecontainer, a portion of said annular flange engaging said elongatedprojection above said laterally facing vent port and forming a sealtherewith whereby liquid flowing around said vent tube is directed awayfrom said vent port during the filling operation.

8. A filling valve of the character described in claim 7 wherein thelower container engaging surface of said annular flange tapersdownwardly from the periphery of said body and includes a pluralityof'flat sectors positioned in abutting relationship with each other andforming a plurality of laterally extending ribs at the point ofabutment, said lower surface being deformed when engaged by thecontainer lip during a filling operation to form a seal therewith, andsaid lower surface being flexibly biased by said ribs upon relief ofpressure of the container to provide an air space between said flatsectors and the container lip whereby air is permitted to bleed into thecontainer when the container is separating from said body.

9. In a filling valve of the type for filling containers with liquidwhile venting a gas therefrom, a hollow vent tube closed at its lowerend, said vent tube having an enlarged chamfered surface at its lowerend and a laterally facing vent port positioned above said annularchamfered surface and communicating with the interior of said hollowvent tube, a resilient deformable body having a liquid flow passagetherethrough and a lower surface for sealing engagement with acontainer, said body having its edge adjacent the lower end of said,liquid flow passage normally contacting the enlarged annular chamferedsurface, of said vent tube to form a seal therewith closing off saidliquid flow passage and said laterally facing vent port in said venttube, said body flexing when engaged by a container on its lower surfaceto free its edge which normally engages the annular chamfered surface ofsaid vent tube and to open said vent tube into communication with theinterior of the container, a portion of said edge adjacent the lower endof said fluid passage engaging said vent-tube above said laterallyfacing vent port and forming a seal therewith whereby liquid flowingaround said vent tube through said liquid flow passage is directed awayfromsaid vent port during the filling operation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS665,893 Field Jan. 15, 1901 1,480,334 Ayars Jan. 8, 1924 2,353,277Stewart et a1 July 11, 1944

